Review by Booklist Review
In a picture book based on events during WWII, an elephant looks back on her wartime experiences as a baby in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She was so terrified by the airplanes, loud explosions, and bright lights during nighttime bombings that her keeper secretly spent her nights at the zoo, comforting her. The keeper moved the elephant into her home and cared for her there, but neighbors informed the zoo and the elephant had to return. Her kind keeper stayed with her there each night until the war ended. Later she retired. The book concludes years later with the elephant remembering her special friend and hoping that she will return for a visit. The first-person narrative works well, giving enough detail to explain why the elephant was frightened, while focusing on the comfort that her companion provided. The back matter provides additional information about the story's origin. In her first book as writer and illustrator, Rankin offers an unusual animal story and illustrates it with expressive, richly colorful paintings. A memorable story of friendship.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2--5--The astonishing true story of an Irish zookeeper who concealed a baby elephant in her home during World War II, told, however, from the perspective of the elephant herself. When the zoo's tranquility is shattered by the turmoil of war, the zookeeper makes the brave decision to sneak the elephant home with her each night, providing a safe spot away from the noise and confusion. Amid the heavy subject matter, there are touches of whimsy and real affection between the zookeeper and her unusual roommate. Rankin avoids the pitfalls of writing in an animal's voice, conveying straightforward innocence. As an illustrator, she brings warmth when appropriate and darkness when necessary. Though relatively short and presented in standard picture book format, there is enough realism in the text and illustrations to communicate the horrors of war, and young readers could be disturbed by talk of bombings and displacement. Supplementary material about the real zookeeper can be found at the back of the book, filling in the details of this little-known moment in history. This valuable work would find a readership in a robust public or school library collection. VERDICT A well-done portrait of one woman's quiet act of wartime courage, recommended for larger collections.--Kate Newcombe
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Friendship endures despite warfare. Sheila the baby elephant is the only one of her kind at the zoo, but her redheaded, pale-skinned keeper is her family; they do everything together. But their routine changes when war breaks out. Planes drop bombs, causing loud explosions that hurt Sheila's ears. The keeper sneaks into the zoo at night and rubs Sheila's ears to calm her. Soon, the two companions get braver and leave the zoo together--Sheila thinks she is very stealthy, squeezing through iron fences--all the way to the keeper's "enclosure," where they spend the night before returning each morning. As the war continues and Sheila keeps growing, this situation gets harder to maintain, until one day Sheila breaks through a fence while chasing a dog. Sheila's no longer allowed to leave the zoo, but the keeper continues to keep her company at night. This sweet story of animal-human friendship is based on a real zookeeper who cared for an elephant housed at Northern Ireland's Belfast Zoo during World War II. Backmatter offers more background on Sheila and her keeper, Denise Weston Austin, as well as some context for the war. Sheila narrates, so the tone mostly remains light, focusing on the little elephant's relationship with her beloved keeper even as the sounds of bombs fill the air. The charming illustrations are soft with a vintage quality, using lighting and shading to great effect. Heartwarming. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
